ALLfeltthattheyhadearnedwhatScrubbcalleda“breather”
.TheWitchhadlockedthedoorandtoldtheEarthmennottodisturbher,sotherewasnodangerofinterruptionforthepresent.Theirfirstbusinesswas,ofcourse,Puddleglum’sburntfoot.AcoupleofcleanshirtsfromthePrince’sbedroom,tornintostrips,andwellgreasedontheinsidewithbutterandsaladoiloffthesuppertable,madeafairlygooddressing.Whenthishadbeenapplied,theyallsatdownandhadalittlerefreshment,anddiscussedplansforescapingfromtheUnderworld.
Rilianexplainedthattherewerequitealotofoutletsbywhichonecouldgettothesurface;hehadbeentakenoutthroughmostofthematonetimeoranother.Buthehadnevergoneoutalone,onlywiththeWitch;andhehadalwaysreachedtheseoutletsbygoinginashipacrosstheSunlessSea.WhattheEarthmenwouldsayifhewentdowntotheharbourwithouttheWitch,andwithfourstrangers,andsimplyorderedaship,noonecouldguess.But
mostlikelytheywouldaskawkwardquestions.Ontheotherhandthenewoutlet,theonefortheinvasionofOverworld,wasonthissideofthesea,andonlyafewmilesaway.ThePrinceknewthatitwasnearlyfinished;onlyafewfeetofearthdividedthediggingsfromtheouterair.Itwasevenpossiblethatithadnowbeenquitefinished.PerhapstheWitchhadcomebacktotellhimthisandtostarttheattack.Evenifitwasnot,theycouldprobablydigthemselvesoutbythatrouteinafewhours—iftheycouldonlygettherewithoutbeingstopped,andifonlytheyfoundthediggingsunguarded.Butthosewerethedifficulties.
“Ifyouaskme—”
beganPuddleglum,whenScrubbinterrupted.
“Isay,”
heasked,“what’sthatnoise?”
“I’vebeenwonderingthatforsometime!”
saidJill.
Theyhadall,infact,beenhearingthenoisebutithadbegunandincreasedsograduallythattheydidnotknowwhentheyhadfirstnoticedit.Foratimeithadbeenonlyavaguedisquietlikegentlewinds,ortrafficveryfaraway.Thenitswelledtoamurmurlikethesea.Thencamerumblingsandrushings.Nowthereseemedtobevoicesaswellandalsoasteadyroaringthatwasnotvoices.
“BytheLion,”
saidPrinceRilian,“itseemsthissilentlandhasfoundatongueatlast.”
Herose,walkedtothewindow,anddrewasidethecurtains.Theotherscrowdedroundhimtolookout.
Theveryfirstthingtheynoticedwasagreatredglow.ItsreflectionmadearedpatchontheroofoftheUnderworldthousandsoffeetabovethem,sothattheycouldseearockyceilingwhichhadperhapsbeenhiddenindarknesseversincetheworldwasmade.Theglowitselfcamefromthefarsideofthecitysothatmanybuildings,grimandgreat,stoodupblacklyagainstit.Butitalsocastitslightdownmanystreetsthatranfromittowardsthecastle.Andinthosestreetssomethingverystrangewasgoingon.Theclosely-packed,silentcrowdsofEarthmenhadvanished.Instead,therewerefiguresdartingaboutbyones,ortwos,orthrees.Theybehavedlikepeoplewhodonotwanttobeseen:lurkinginshadowbehindbuttressesorindoorways,andthenmovingquicklyacrosstheopenintofreshplacesofhiding.Butthestrangestthingofall,toanyonewhoknewthegnomes,wasthenoise.Shoutsandcriescamefromalldirections.Butfromtheharbourtherecamealow,rumblingroarwhichgrewsteadilylouderandwasalreadyshakingthewholecity.
“What’shappenedtotheEarthmen?”
saidScrubb.“Isitthemshouting?”
“Tishardlypossible,”
saidthePrince.“Ineverheardoneoftherascalssomuchasspeakwithaloudvoiceinallthewearyyearsofmybondage.Somenewdevilry,Idon’tdoubt.”
“Andwhatisthatredlightoverthere?”
askedJill.“Issomethingonfire?”
“Ifyouaskme,”
saidPuddleglum,“IshouldsaythatwasthecentralfiresoftheEarthbreakingouttomakeanewvolcano.We’llbeinthemiddleofit,Ishouldn’twonder.”
“Lookatthatship!”
saidScrubb.“Why’sitcomingonsoquickly?Noone’srowingit.”
“Look,look!”
saidthePrince.“Theshipisalreadyfarthissideoftheharbour—itisinthestreet.Look!
Alltheshipsaredrivingintothecity!
Bymyhead,thesea’srising.Thefloodisuponus.Aslanbepraised,thiscastlestandsonhighground.Butthewatercomesongrimlyfast.”
“Oh,whatcanbehappening?”
criedJill.“Fireandwaterandallthosepeopledodgingaboutthestreets.”
“I’lltellyouwhatitis,”
saidPuddleglu“ThatWitchhaslaidatrainofmagicspellssothatwhenevershewaskilled,atthatsamemomentherwholekingdomwouldfalltopieces.She’sthesortthatwouldn’tsomuchminddyingherselfifsheknewthatthechapwhokilledherwasgoingtobeburned,orburied,ordrownedfiveminuteslater.”
“Hasthitit,friendwiggle,”
saidthePrince.“WhenourswordshackedofftheWitch’shead,thatstrokeendedallhermagicworks,andnowtheDeepLandsarefallingtopieces.WearelookingontheendofUnderworld.”
“That’sit,Sir,”
saidPuddleglu“Unlessitshouldhappentobetheendofthewholeworld.”
“Butarewejustgoingtostayhereand—wait?”
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